Liars, Thieves, and Cheats

So I came in to work the show this morning and was informed of this insanity:

It has been a good while since I’ve done a good fisking, shall we?

Myth #3 – Gifts of firearms are exempted. Nowhere in the text does it imply that all firearm gifts are exempted. To imply that anyone assumed that makes *them* look not too bright. Any responsible gun owner should WANT it to be known whether a specific gun was transferred to someone else or not. Why? Because while you may have given it to someone you “think” would never use it in the commission of a crime, the fact of the matter is, you don’t know. You couldn’t know. How many times do you see friends and family members shocked and incredulous over what the people they have known their whole lives end up doing? How many times do you hear interviews with family members who say “I just can’t believe he did it. He was always so easy going. I don’t understand where that came from.”? Do you really want to be the person who “gave” your gun to a would be assassin regardless of the fact that you think “they would never do that”?

Gifts are exempted in very limited circumstances. I can give a gift to my mother but not mother-in-law. There is no straight exemption of gifts and to claim otherwise is deceptive and misleading. Here is the exact wording on gifts:

(a) A transfer between immediate family members, which for this subsection shall be limited to spouses, domestic partners, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, first cousins, aunts, and uncles, that is a bona fide gift

If you were really about increasing the knowledge to prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands, why not a public background check number or an indicator that is printed on all drivers licenses. While that has other issues it’s certainly a fair cry better than the monstrosity you’re trying to sell.

Myth #6 (loaning a gun to a friend for repair) and Myth #8 handing a firearm off to a student…etc. Yeah, this is a real bummer because most people want to have friends and family fix their guns or teach them how to use them properly. Seriously? If you were a responsible gun owner, you SHOULD want these things done by a professional. Someone licensed to do so. Not uncle Joe.

Difference between an amateur and professional is whether or not you are paid and nothing more. I am an amateur radio operator and let me tell you, there is nothing amateur about us. I’ve had law enforcement park next to me because I will have comms when they don’t. I have the tools and training to change barrels and do other work on firearms however that is not my everyday job. So I should not be allowed to do work I enjoy for friends and family despite my training?

Further there is no exemption for “professionals” except for gunsmiths who have an FFL. Let me repeat, there is no exemption for certified trainers or at a professional training event. The only exemption that may help is as follows:

(f) The temporary transfer of a firearm (i) between spouses or domestic partners; (ii) if the temporary transfer occurs, and the firearm is kept at all times, at an established shooting range authorized by the governing body of the jurisdiction in which such range is located; (iii) if the temporary transfer occurs and the transferee’s possession of the firearm is exclusively at a lawful organized competition involving the use of a firearm, or while participating in or practicing for a performance by an organized group that uses firearms as a part of the performance; (iv) to a person who is under eighteen years of age for lawful hunting, sporting, or educational purposes while under the direct supervision and control of a responsible adult who is not prohibited from possessing firearms; or (v) while hunting if the hunting is legal in all places where the person to whom the firearm is transferred possesses the firearm and the person to whom the firearm is transferred has completed all training and holds all licenses or permits required for such hunting, provided that any temporary transfer allowed by this subsection is permitted only if the person to whom the firearm is transferred is not prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law; or

There is no definition of what an authorized range is. Also many loaner weapons used in firearms training are owned by the instructor and not the range. Further you will not there is no exemption for instructors handling firearms owned by students. The only other line that comes close is “practicing for a performance” but that pertains to drill teams, not training.

Not to mention that deep down is economic elitism and discrimination as you are require additional money to be spent when honestly they may know someone who is perfectly capable of fixing their firearm or offering training.

Myth #9 – I can loan a hunting rifle to a friend during hunting season. Again, nowhere in 594 does it state that.

You can only loan a rifle in a very specific set of circumstances:

(v) while hunting if the hunting is legal in all places where the person to whom the firearm is transferred possesses the firearm and the person to whom the firearm is transferred has completed all training and holds all licenses or permits required for such hunting, provided that any temporary transfer allowed by this subsection is permitted only if the person to whom the firearm is transferred is not prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law;

What this means is if you wander within 150 feet of a road, or cross a stream or any other area where hunting is not legal you are committing a misdemeanor the first time or a felony the second. It is only legal as long as you are in the hunting area. You better get the firearm back before you reach your truck.

Myth #10 – I keep a rifle in my truck and occasionally allow my daughter to drive this vehicle on our property – this can’t be a crime? All I can say is this…if you think it’s ok to drive around, unsupervised, with a weapon, then you really aren’t a responsible gun owner.

Myth #10: You have never lived in a rural area have you? I regularly drove around my friends rig with his rifle in the back while helping with their farmland. Under this it would be crime, not to mention I regularly drove around my uncles truck as a minor, with a rifle. Why would I have a rifle? To shoot coyotes and other predators that prey upon livestock. But such a well-rounded and educated person such as yourself knew that there are predators out there right? Because me trusting the person I’ve given the keys to my truck and is acting to protect my property is irresponsible? WTF?

So there, I have backed up my case by citing the initiative text and if you think I’m wrong, here’s a past supreme court justice from the state of Washington on the subject.

Maybe you should leave the interpretation of the law to professionals instead of amateurs.

And since you’re a “gun owner” I’m more than happy to meet up with you at West Coast armory so you can get some practice with your firearm, if it exists. I will pay your ammo and range fees, my treat.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

About Barron

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.
He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

Barron Barnett/(The Minuteman Blog) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.